What is Truth?

It's very early in the morning. The Jewish leaders have taken Jesus from the High Priest and brought him to the palace of the Roman Governor Pilate. They stand out on the steps of the palace and call out to Pilate. So he awakens from his sleep and goes out to meet them. When he sees that they have a prisoner with them he asks, "Who is this? And for what reason have you arrested him?"


After finding out that the man was in fact Jesus, the Jewish revolutionary that he had heard so much about, he invites him to come inside to be questioned. Pilate had heard that some people wanted Jesus to violently overthrow the Roman government and establish himself as king, so he asked him, "Are you a king?"

 Jesus answered, "Are you saying this on your own, or did others tell you this about me?"

Pilate said, "Do I look like a Jew? Your people and your high priests turned you over to me. What did you do?"

"My kingdom," said Jesus, "doesn't consist of what you see around you. If it did, my followers would fight so that I wouldn't be handed over to the Jews. But I'm not that kind of king, not the world's kind of king."

Then Pilate said, "So, are you a king or not?"

   

Jesus answered, "You tell me. Because I am King, I was born and entered the world so that I could witness to the truth. Everyone who cares for truth, who has any feeling for the truth, recognizes my voice."

Pilate said, "What is truth?"

What is truth?

This to me is one of the most pivotal, and powerful scenes in all of the Scriptures. 

Pilate may have lived thousands of  years ago, but he was well ahead of his time. He is struggling with the same exact question that many people are struggling with today. In fact this question may very well represent the single most important societal shift that we as the Church face today.

Welcome to the post-modern era!

What is Truth?

Is it objective?

Subjective?

Is it just an idea that we created?

Is it grounded in the laws of a Divine being?

How can we know?

What can we trust?

But what's so shocking about this scenario is not Pilate's way-ahead-of-his-time question. It's the way in which Jesus responds.

If you consider yourself a devout Christian how would you respond?

I think most of us would jump all over this opportunity right? This is a non-Christian sincerely asking this question. This is an opportunity to lay some gospel truth on this guy right? Time to tell him what he needs to hear in order to get in to heaven?

And what does Jesus say?

Nothing...

He doesn't say anything...

This was a golden opportunity, and yet it appears that Jesus blew it.

Jesus doesn't answer the question.

Or...

Maybe he just doesn't answer with words.

Jesus doesn't say anything but he does do something profound. He remains quiet, as the poets once wrote like a lamb being taken to the slaughter. Pilate watches this man, whom he recognizes is innocent go and be tortured and murdered. And why does he do it?

He does it out of love!

Jesus doesn't seem overly concerned about telling Pilate what he needs to believe as true in order to go to heaven one day. When Pilate asks "What is truth?" Jesus responds by demonstrating what it means to live out self-giving, sacrificial love.

The kind of truth Jesus is interested in is not some information that if believed will allow you to escape the world one day. It's a way of living in the world and embracing it. It's a willingness to sacrifice everything even your very life for the world.

It's showing radical, overwhelming, self-giving, sacrificial, recklessly extravagant love here and now.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Grace & Peace